Representing the 17th District of New York

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Environment

Congresswoman Lowey is a leader in the fight to protect America's air, land, and water, and to stop global climate change. She is consistently among the Members of Congress rated most highly by the League of Conservation Voters (LVC). As former Co-Chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus and a founder of the Hudson River Congressional Caucus, Lowey has secured tens of millions of dollars to protect and rehabilitate these fragile ecosystems.

Clean Energy to Mitigate Global Climate Change

Congresswoman Lowey has been a consistent advocate of forceful actions to reduce energy consumption and stop global climate change. That is why she is working to:

Invest in alternative energy sources like wind and solar, which will decrease usage of fossil fuels, create millions of green jobs, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil;

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and

Promote weatherization and conservation to protect the environment and help consumers save money on energy bills.

Clean Air

In the absence of strong federal pollution standards, Congresswoman Lowey believes New York should be permitted to maintain tougher clean air standards to protect public health and the environment. She has also fought to prevent changes to the Clean Air Act that would weaken restrictions against the emission of mercury from coal plants that have proven hazardous to human and environmental health.

Clean Water

To defend the Clean Water Act, protect our vital waterways, and ensure that our water supply will be clean and safe, Congresswoman Lowey has:

Fought proposals that would result in overdevelopment and pollution of lakes, rivers, and waterways;

Supported funding to modernize local water infrastructure, solving sewer overflow problems, and decreasing nitrogen pollution into the Long Island Sound; and

Secured the first-ever federal commitment to protect the Hudson River Greenway and has worked to ensure that the EPA cleans 150,000 pounds of PCBs from 40 miles of the upper Hudson River.

“Fracking”

Congresswoman is deeply concerned about the impact that hydraulic fracturing – or “Fracking” – could have on our nation's waterways, including rivers and underground aquifers. That is why she cosponsored the FRAC Act, which would repeal exemptions under the Safe Drinking Water Act for those companies who use hydraulic fracturing to drill for natural gas and force those companies to disclose the chemicals they use to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). She also opposes allowing industry representatives to sit on the Department of Energy’s working group on hydraulic fracturing due to the clear conflict of interest.

Supporting the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area

The Hudson Valley played a critical role in the founding of our Republic and is also home to unparalleled natural beauty. We have a duty to protect this rich heritage. As Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee, Lowey consistently protects federal funding destined for the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, which produces hundreds of millions of dollars in local economic impact and supports thousands of jobs.